Questios & Answer

With Jimmy Scott

by John Hagelston

What was the first record you bought?
"Caldonia" by Louis Jordan was the first record I bought. I was on tour with Estelle "Caldonia" Young (Caldonia's Revue) in the early '40s, and wanted to know if the song was for her; I found out Louis Jordan was the one to give Estelle the name "Caldonia." The first records I heard were by Paul Robeson, on the radio when I was a child.

What record do you recommend to your friends?
Nat "King" Cole's "Straighten Up And Fly Right."

What book is on your nightstand?
The Bible.

What was the first thing you bought when you got your first check from playing music?
I paid the rent and ate. We weren't making enough money to even afford a new suit for the stage.

We all know Ray Charles the performer. But what was he like as a producer/record exec.?
Ray was the best I had ever worked with both as a musician, producer, chart writer, and as a person. He was a great man.

Share with us your favorite memory of Doc Pomus.
I met Doc Pomus (a.k.a. Jerome Felder) when he came to see my show at the Baby Grand in Harlem around 1945 or '46. Doc showed me how to get around on the New York Subway system, then took me home to have dinner with his mother, father, and little brother, Raoul Felder (Raoul was so stuffy, snooty, and studious at the time; he later became one of the country's top celebrity lawyers). Doc bringing me home and having dinner with his family was my most cherished memory of Doc.

What was it like working with David Lynch on Twin Peaks?
Interesting. David Lynch is a creative director and producer.

Who would you most like to work with (that you haven't worked with already)?
Oprah.

What's gets your nomination for the most absurd thing about the music business?
The Savoy situation. They continue to put out material on me -- CDs with different jackets each year and still I never received a dime in royalties. The Japanese company that acquired the Savoy catalog has not honored their contract between them, myself, and my lawyer. They signed a contract to finally issue me my royalty checks in 1995, put out a boxed set, etc...but I have yet to see one royalty statement or check. I never got paid when Lubinsky owned the company and still don't get paid with its new owners, Denon, yet they continue to release CDs by me year after year!!

What do you remember most about your hometown?
I was born in Cleveland, Ohio. I would say growing up in the Great Depression the thing I remember most is that families shared with one another back then and looked out for each other. I remember if my mother got a little food, even though she had ten kids to feed, she would share whatever she had with the neighbors -- that's the way it was back then. The family love that existed during those hard times no longer exists today, and that is sad.

What person (or persons) has had the most impact on who you are?
My mother had the most impact on my life. Her love, teachings, the confidence she instilled in me, and her loss stayed with me throughout my life to today.

What's your favorite food?
Cornflakes with a lot of sugar.

What is your most prized possession?
My wife, Jeanie. I don't know what I'd do without her.

What word least describes you?
"Unkind" -- I don't like to hurt anyone's feelings. Or "Misjudging." Pet Peeve: "Others’ misjudging someone's character." "Misjudging" would be my most least favorite word, in other people's misjudgment, and I would never judge another's character.

What's the most interesting sight you've seen while out on tour?
I'd say Istanbul on my honeymoon was the most exotic place I visited -- there was a magical, mystical quality in the air. I enjoyed the Grand Market; quite an interesting experience.

Where is the one place you've never been that you'd most like to visit?
Any of the places I haven't visited in Europe yet and especially in Asia. My wife would like to visit her grandparents' homeland in Sweden, and the island paradise of Bora Bora, Tahiti.

What question do you hate being asked?
No question. I don't mind being asked questions; asking me questions doesn't bother me.

If you could fool all of the people all of the time, what would you tell them?
Everything's alright, baby.

What is Heaven?
Heaven is a divine place; I hope to go.

What is Hell?
Hell is ignorance of life; I hope I never qualify for.